Posted by Ed Kiser on March 08, 2006 at 21:20:45 from 152.163.101.7 user Kisered.
The concept of CHEERS as being some multiple of THREE perhaps is a
culture thing as being a feature of living in the UK. Being in the
USA, I do not normally hear any references to any cheering in multiples
of three (or some other rather large number). We in USA cheer, but are
not in to this multiple of three thing.
The question here is, is the expression "THREE CHEERS" and others of
that same ilk, an expression that is peculiar to the UK mode of speech?
In looking up CHEERS, there are some just ordinary cheering that are
not necessarily the multiple of three style, just crowds cheering
somewhat uncordinated.
The usual expression found involved "three cheers." But other amounts
came into usage such as "three million cheers" or "Ten million cheers"
or even "three thousand million cheers" up to "ten thousand million
cheers" with no expectation of anyone uttering any such thing.
Even for the more common call for just "three cheers", these were not
necessarily always followed by any real cheering, thus making this just
an expression of delight.
There was one place where was used the "hip, hip" reference to cheering,
given by Col. Jolys when the GA was returned from being lost, as:
-----------
Then, from behind the house came Colonel Jolys's voice, shouting, "Now lads! Miss Turner! Hip, hip, hurrah!", the last words drowned in a burst of cheering, and a tremendous fanfare of trumpets.
----------
This "hip, hip" expression is also something that would never be used in
the USA version of English.
Set out below are the incidences in which there is reference to CHEERS.
Ed Kiser, South Florida
-------------------------------------------------
----------
BSCH14.doc
----------
"Somebody gets up in court and shows what really happened, and the judge leans out of the dock... no, that's where the prisoners are... anyway, he leans out and shakes hands with the prisoners and there are cheers and the judge gets a pair of white gloves after all."
----------
BSCH30.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Tom. "We've got them."
----------
CCCH22.doc
----------
"Awful when you weren't at Stokesby or Yarmouth." "Hullabaloos?" "Nosing into Fleet Dyke looking for you." "Needn't be back for a week." "Yes. In a cupboard bunk." "Oh, three million cheers!"
-----
CCCH23.doc
----------
"What did Joe say?... I can't hear... Sorry... Beasts... Stuck in Wroxham? Three cheers... Awning for the Death and Glory... Good... I thought they would... "
----------
CCCH27.doc
----------
Tom hauled in on the string. The parcel, amid cheers, left the masthead of the Teasel and moved slowly out. The rope sagged a bit in the middle, but the parcel was well above the mud.
----------
CCCH29.doc
----------
Once more Old Bob settled down over his tiller and the Come Along said "Come Along" to the Teasel and the Titmouse and the Death and Glory. The whole fleet went up the river together, with cheers for the three small boys from all the people on the quayside and in the moored boats.
----------
GNCH12.doc
----------
"Three cheers for natural history. Great Auks and Guillemots! I never thought birds could be half such fun."
-----
GNCH13.doc
----------
"But for him we'd be on our way home. And now anything may happen. Nothing any of us could have said would have made Uncle Jim change his mind. Three cheers for the Pterodactyl!"
-----
"It's three cheers for Dick as well as for the Pterodactyl," said Nancy. "But for him none of this would be happening. "
----------
GNCH20.doc
----------
"That settles it," said Nancy. "He's after us and he doesn't want us to know it. Three million cheers! Well done, the goggles! And my yelling your name must have helped. "
----------
GNCH28.doc
----------
"Three cheers!" said Peggy who was the next to arrive.
----------
MLCH15.doc
----------
"Three million cheers," cried Nancy, and, as the cage was lowered to the ground, some frantic handshaking was done through the bars.
----------
MLCH18.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Roger. "Susan's jolly good at sewing."
-----
"Three cheers," said Roger. "She's giving us a holiday. No prep tonight."
-----
"Three million cheers," said Nancy. "I and Peggy have never seen it."
----------
MLCH27.doc
----------
"Three thousand million cheers," exclaimed Nancy, not even minding being called a foolish child. "Barbecued billygoats, I thought Captain Flint was right. Cat and mouse, you know."
----------
MLCH8.doc
----------
"Hi! Captain!" Nancy's voice came from somewhere close by. And then, "Barbecued billygoats! Jibbooms and Bobstays. Ten thousand million cheers! Shiver my timbers! KEEP STILL, PEGGY! It's the Swallows. Here."
----------
PDCH14.doc
----------
"Well," said Nancy cheerfully, as they crowded into the saloon and Bill looked round in surprise to see no officers about. "We're in for it now. I knew he'd never be content just hanging about near home. Three cheers for Christopher Columbus."
----------
PDCH28.doc
----------
"Swallows and Amazons for ever!" cried Nancy. "And three cheers for Peter Duck! If Captain Flint isn't busting pleased he ought to be. Heave it out. Carefully, Peggy! Don't let it drop."
----------
PMCH25.doc
----------
"If she wanted to vanish," said Nancy, "she might have waited another two days. If she disappeared at Harrogate or somewhere people would simply say 'Three Cheers' or 'R.I.P' and have a celebration. "
----------
PPCH15.doc
----------
"Of course it did," said Nancy. "Well done, old Titty. Three cheers for the Able-seaman. You've saved the whole thing. We'll be nearer the Topps even than Squashy himself. "
----------
PPCH2.doc
----------
"There's a red cap," said Titty. "That must be Peggy. But it can't be her steering. I say, Roger, It's the D's. Peg's on the middle thwart. Dorothea's hanging on to the main-sheet, Dick's at the tiller. I saw the sunshine on his spectacles. Three cheers. Mrs. Blackett must be having them too."
----------
PPCH21.doc
----------
"Three cheers for Golden Gulch," said Nancy. "Not too loud... Come on now and get the things.
----------
PPCH29.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Titty.
----------
PPCH6.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Nancy. "We'll start first thing in the morning. I wish my throat wasn't too dry to shout."
----------
SACH3.doc
----------
"Three cheers for the stay-at-homes," called Captain John.
----------
SACH31.doc
----------
There were more shouts of "Good-bye," "Remember the Alliance," and "Come again next year." "Three cheers for Wild Cat Island," shouted John. They all cheered. "Three cheers for the Swallows," shouted Nancy. "And for the Amazons," they shouted back.
----------
SDCH34.doc
----------
"Three cheers," shouted Roger.
----------
SWCH1.doc
----------
John pulled a pencil out of his pocket and scribbled a letter of the alphabet under each of the dancing figures. "T.H.R.E.E... M.I.L.L.I.O.N... C.H.E.E.R.S... Three million cheers."
-----
"Three million cheers," said Titty. "What for? She must have done something and thinks we know all about it."
-----
"Captured the houseboat I should think," said Roger. "Or drowned the Great Aunt. She wouldn't send three million cheers about nothing at all."
-----
Nobody at Pin Mill felt like three million cheers. They felt about Nancy's message almost as Roger had felt about the "pudding faces". It was not fair. Three million cheers, indeed. Who could be expected to cheer about anything on a day when the best plan ever made had been wiped out by stonyhearted Lords of the Admiralty.
-----
SWCH10.doc
----------
"Three million cheers!" said John.
----------
SWCH15.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Nancy. "An extra three savages'll make a lot of difference. Specially as each of them's got a boat."
----------
SWCH2.doc
----------
"Captain Nancy'd just love to be marooned," said Titty. "But I expect they're doing something too. Sure to be. They'll probably write and tell us about it. She wouldn't have sent three million cheers unless they were up to something pretty larky."
----------
SWCH21.doc
----------
"Three cheers!" said Roger.
-----
SWCH22.doc
----------
"Three cheers for the Mastodon," shouted Roger.
----------
SWCH9.doc
----------
"It's a message," said Titty. She took her finger away, and showed the letters. "It says, 'Three million cheers'."
----------
WHCH22.doc
----------
"Hurrah!" shouted Peggy. "I knew they were there. Three cheers for the D.'s! Come on!"
-----
WHCH23.doc
----------
"Three thousand cheers!" shouted John, and the whole lot of them stood up and yelled.
----------
BSCH14.doc
----------
"Somebody gets up in court and shows what really happened, and the judge leans out of the dock... no, that's where the prisoners are... anyway, he leans out and shakes hands with the prisoners and there are cheers and the judge gets a pair of white gloves after all."
----------
BSCH30.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Tom. "We've got them."
----------
CCCH22.doc
----------
"Awful when you weren't at Stokesby or Yarmouth." "Hullabaloos?" "Nosing into Fleet Dyke looking for you." "Needn't be back for a week." "Yes. In a cupboard bunk." "Oh, three million cheers!"
-----
CCCH23.doc
----------
"What did Joe say?... I can't hear... Sorry... Beasts... Stuck in Wroxham? Three cheers... Awning for the Death and Glory... Good... I thought they would... "
----------
CCCH27.doc
----------
Tom hauled in on the string. The parcel, amid cheers, left the masthead of the Teasel and moved slowly out. The rope sagged a bit in the middle, but the parcel was well above the mud.
----------
CCCH29.doc
----------
Once more Old Bob settled down over his tiller and the Come Along said "Come Along" to the Teasel and the Titmouse and the Death and Glory. The whole fleet went up the river together, with cheers for the three small boys from all the people on the quayside and in the moored boats.
----------
GNCH12.doc
----------
"Three cheers for natural history. Great Auks and Guillemots! I never thought birds could be half such fun."
-----
GNCH13.doc
----------
"But for him we'd be on our way home. And now anything may happen. Nothing any of us could have said would have made Uncle Jim change his mind. Three cheers for the Pterodactyl!"
-----
"It's three cheers for Dick as well as for the Pterodactyl," said Nancy. "But for him none of this would be happening. "
----------
GNCH20.doc
----------
"That settles it," said Nancy. "He's after us and he doesn't want us to know it. Three million cheers! Well done, the goggles! And my yelling your name must have helped. "
----------
GNCH28.doc
----------
"Three cheers!" said Peggy who was the next to arrive.
----------
MLCH15.doc
----------
"Three million cheers," cried Nancy, and, as the cage was lowered to the ground, some frantic handshaking was done through the bars.
----------
MLCH18.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Roger. "Susan's jolly good at sewing."
-----
"Three cheers," said Roger. "She's giving us a holiday. No prep tonight."
-----
"Three million cheers," said Nancy. "I and Peggy have never seen it."
----------
MLCH27.doc
----------
"Three thousand million cheers," exclaimed Nancy, not even minding being called a foolish child. "Barbecued billygoats, I thought Captain Flint was right. Cat and mouse, you know."
----------
MLCH8.doc
----------
"Hi! Captain!" Nancy's voice came from somewhere close by. And then, "Barbecued billygoats! Jibbooms and Bobstays. Ten thousand million cheers! Shiver my timbers! KEEP STILL, PEGGY! It's the Swallows. Here."
----------
PDCH14.doc
----------
"Well," said Nancy cheerfully, as they crowded into the saloon and Bill looked round in surprise to see no officers about. "We're in for it now. I knew he'd never be content just hanging about near home. Three cheers for Christopher Columbus."
----------
PDCH28.doc
----------
"Swallows and Amazons for ever!" cried Nancy. "And three cheers for Peter Duck! If Captain Flint isn't busting pleased he ought to be. Heave it out. Carefully, Peggy! Don't let it drop."
----------
PMCH25.doc
----------
"If she wanted to vanish," said Nancy, "she might have waited another two days. If she disappeared at Harrogate or somewhere people would simply say 'Three Cheers' or 'R.I.P' and have a celebration. "
----------
PPCH15.doc
----------
"Of course it did," said Nancy. "Well done, old Titty. Three cheers for the Able-seaman. You've saved the whole thing. We'll be nearer the Topps even than Squashy himself. "
----------
PPCH2.doc
----------
"There's a red cap," said Titty. "That must be Peggy. But it can't be her steering. I say, Roger, It's the D's. Peg's on the middle thwart. Dorothea's hanging on to the main-sheet, Dick's at the tiller. I saw the sunshine on his spectacles. Three cheers. Mrs. Blackett must be having them too."
----------
PPCH21.doc
----------
"Three cheers for Golden Gulch," said Nancy. "Not too loud... Come on now and get the things.
----------
PPCH29.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Titty.
----------
PPCH6.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Nancy. "We'll start first thing in the morning. I wish my throat wasn't too dry to shout."
----------
SACH3.doc
----------
"Three cheers for the stay-at-homes," called Captain John.
----------
SACH31.doc
----------
There were more shouts of "Good-bye," "Remember the Alliance," and "Come again next year." "Three cheers for Wild Cat Island," shouted John. They all cheered. "Three cheers for the Swallows," shouted Nancy. "And for the Amazons," they shouted back.
----------
SDCH34.doc
----------
"Three cheers," shouted Roger.
----------
SWCH1.doc
----------
John pulled a pencil out of his pocket and scribbled a letter of the alphabet under each of the dancing figures. "T.H.R.E.E... M.I.L.L.I.O.N... C.H.E.E.R.S... Three million cheers."
-----
"Three million cheers," said Titty. "What for? She must have done something and thinks we know all about it."
-----
"Captured the houseboat I should think," said Roger. "Or drowned the Great Aunt. She wouldn't send three million cheers about nothing at all."
-----
Nobody at Pin Mill felt like three million cheers. They felt about Nancy's message almost as Roger had felt about the "pudding faces". It was not fair. Three million cheers, indeed. Who could be expected to cheer about anything on a day when the best plan ever made had been wiped out by stonyhearted Lords of the Admiralty.
-----
SWCH10.doc
----------
"Three million cheers!" said John.
----------
SWCH15.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Nancy. "An extra three savages'll make a lot of difference. Specially as each of them's got a boat."
----------
SWCH2.doc
----------
"Captain Nancy'd just love to be marooned," said Titty. "But I expect they're doing something too. Sure to be. They'll probably write and tell us about it. She wouldn't have sent three million cheers unless they were up to something pretty larky."
----------
SWCH21.doc
----------
"Three cheers!" said Roger.
-----
SWCH22.doc
----------
"Three cheers for the Mastodon," shouted Roger.
----------
SWCH9.doc
----------
"It's a message," said Titty. She took her finger away, and showed the letters. "It says, 'Three million cheers'."
----------
WHCH22.doc
----------
"Hurrah!" shouted Peggy. "I knew they were there. Three cheers for the D.'s! Come on!"
-----
WHCH23.doc
----------
"Three thousand cheers!" shouted John, and the whole lot of them stood up and yelled.
----------
BSCH14.doc
----------
...he leans out and shakes hands with the prisoners and there are cheers and the judge gets a pair of white gloves after all."
----------
BSCH30.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Tom. "We've got them."
----------
CCCH22.doc
----------
"Awful when you weren't at Stokesby or Yarmouth." "Hullabaloos?" "Nosing into Fleet Dyke looking for you." "Needn't be back for a week." "Yes. In a cupboard bunk." "Oh, three million cheers!"
-----
CCCH23.doc
----------
"What did Joe say?... I can't hear... Sorry... Beasts... Stuck in Wroxham? Three cheers... Awning for the Death and Glory... Good... I thought they would... "
----------
CCCH27.doc
----------
Tom hauled in on the string. The parcel, amid cheers, left the masthead of the Teasel and moved slowly out. The rope sagged a bit in the middle, but the parcel was well above the mud.
----------
CCCH29.doc
----------
Once more Old Bob settled down over his tiller and the Come Along said "Come Along" to the Teasel and the Titmouse and the Death and Glory. The whole fleet went up the river together, with cheers for the three small boys from all the people on the quayside and in the moored boats.
----------
GNCH12.doc
----------
"Three cheers for natural history. Great Auks and Guillemots! I never thought birds could be half such fun."
-----
GNCH13.doc
----------
"But for him we'd be on our way home. And now anything may happen. Nothing any of us could have said would have made Uncle Jim change his mind. Three cheers for the Pterodactyl!"
-----
"It's three cheers for Dick as well as for the Pterodactyl," said Nancy. "But for him none of this would be happening. "
----------
GNCH20.doc
----------
"That settles it," said Nancy. "He's after us and he doesn't want us to know it. Three million cheers! Well done, the goggles! And my yelling your name must have helped. "
----------
GNCH28.doc
----------
"Three cheers!" said Peggy who was the next to arrive.
----------
MLCH15.doc
----------
"Three million cheers," cried Nancy, and, as the cage was lowered to the ground, some frantic handshaking was done through the bars.
----------
MLCH18.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Roger. "Susan's jolly good at sewing."
-----
"Three cheers," said Roger. "She's giving us a holiday. No prep tonight."
-----
"Three million cheers," said Nancy. "I and Peggy have never seen it."
----------
MLCH27.doc
----------
"Three thousand million cheers," exclaimed Nancy, not even minding being called a foolish child. "Barbecued billygoats, I thought Captain Flint was right. Cat and mouse, you know."
----------
MLCH8.doc
----------
"Hi! Captain!" Nancy's voice came from somewhere close by. And then, "Barbecued billygoats! Jibbooms and Bobstays. Ten thousand million cheers! Shiver my timbers! KEEP STILL, PEGGY! It's the Swallows. Here."
----------
PDCH14.doc
----------
"Well," said Nancy cheerfully, as they crowded into the saloon and Bill looked round in surprise to see no officers about. "We're in for it now. I knew he'd never be content just hanging about near home. Three cheers for Christopher Columbus."
----------
PDCH28.doc
----------
"Swallows and Amazons for ever!" cried Nancy. "And three cheers for Peter Duck! If Captain Flint isn't busting pleased he ought to be. Heave it out. Carefully, Peggy! Don't let it drop."
----------
PMCH25.doc
----------
"If she wanted to vanish," said Nancy, "she might have waited another two days. If she disappeared at Harrogate or somewhere people would simply say 'Three Cheers' or 'R.I.P' and have a celebration. "
----------
PPCH15.doc
----------
"Of course it did," said Nancy. "Well done, old Titty. Three cheers for the Able-seaman. You've saved the whole thing. We'll be nearer the Topps even than Squashy himself. "
----------
PPCH2.doc
----------
"I say, Roger, It's the D's. Peg's on the middle thwart. Dorothea's hanging on to the main-sheet, Dick's at the tiller. I saw the sunshine on his spectacles. Three cheers. Mrs. Blackett must be having them too."
----------
PPCH21.doc
----------
"Three cheers for Golden Gulch," said Nancy. "Not too loud... Come on now and get the things.
----------
PPCH29.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Titty.
----------
PPCH6.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Nancy. "We'll start first thing in the morning. I wish my throat wasn't too dry to shout."
----------
SACH3.doc
----------
"Three cheers for the stay-at-homes," called Captain John.
----------
SACH31.doc
----------
There were more shouts of "Good-bye," "Remember the Alliance," and "Come again next year." "Three cheers for Wild Cat Island," shouted John. They all cheered. "Three cheers for the Swallows," shouted Nancy. "And for the Amazons," they shouted back.
----------
SDCH34.doc
----------
"Three cheers," shouted Roger.
----------
SWCH1.doc
----------
John pulled a pencil out of his pocket and scribbled a letter of the alphabet under each of the dancing figures. "T.H.R.E.E... M.I.L.L.I.O.N... C.H.E.E.R.S... Three million cheers."
-----
"Three million cheers," said Titty. "What for? She must have done something and thinks we know all about it."
-----
"Captured the houseboat I should think," said Roger. "Or drowned the Great Aunt. She wouldn't send three million cheers about nothing at all."
-----
Nobody at Pin Mill felt like three million cheers. They felt about Nancy's message almost as Roger had felt about the "pudding faces". It was not fair. Three million cheers, indeed. Who could be expected to cheer about anything on a day when the best plan ever made had been wiped out by stonyhearted Lords of the Admiralty.
-----
SWCH10.doc
----------
"Three million cheers!" said John.
----------
SWCH15.doc
----------
"Three cheers," said Nancy. "An extra three savages'll make a lot of difference. Specially as each of them's got a boat."
----------
SWCH2.doc
----------
"Captain Nancy'd just love to be marooned," said Titty. "But I expect they're doing something too. Sure to be. They'll probably write and tell us about it. She wouldn't have sent three million cheers unless they were up to something pretty larky."
----------
SWCH21.doc
----------
"Three cheers!" said Roger.
-----
SWCH22.doc
----------
"Three cheers for the Mastodon," shouted Roger.
----------
SWCH9.doc
----------
"It's a message," said Titty. She took her finger away, and showed the letters. "It says, 'Three million cheers'."
----------
WHCH22.doc
----------
"Hurrah!" shouted Peggy. "I knew they were there. Three cheers for the D.'s! Come on!"
-----
WHCH23.doc
----------
"Three thousand cheers!" shouted John, and the whole lot of them stood up and yelled.
(hey, gang, I was just trying to get this forum back to talking about the books of Arthur Ransome - for a change.)